He never finishes his statement. Lennox jerks him off the ground by the front of his shirt and slams him into the wall of the darkened corner where we shared soft whispers and gentle caresses earlier.
“She isn’t bought or owned by anyone, you piece of shit. She isn’t some whore for you to sniff after like a fucking cat in heat. Touch her again in my presence and I’ll cut off your hands.” Lennox trembles with fury as he continues to grip di Micios’ shirtfront. “Try anything when I’m gone and I won’t have to intervene. She can take care of it herself. Surely you heard what she did to Crewes on the way here?” Lennox snarls. Di Micios’ olive skin pales as his eyes rake over me, the fear in his eyes clear.
“Now apologize, and get the fuck out of our sight.” Lennox releases the man roughly. Di Micios stumbles as he grabs at his rumpled shirtfront to straighten it, all hint of attraction drowned by Lennox’s threats. Other guests openly stare at us now as di Micios bows curtly to me.
“Apologies, Mistress. I meant no harm to you,” di Micios mutters before retreating from us. He pushes through the crowd angrily and out the door before Marie can speak to him. She cuts her eyes at Lennox and shakes her head with a frown, but Lennox doesn’t seem to pay any heed to her disapproval. He takes my hand in his and roughly pulls me through the crowd.
As we pass Marie and Lyra, he asks, “Your office?”
Marie nods her head in response, a ghost of a smile on her full lips.
Chapter 36
I stumble slightly as Lennox tugs me through the door to Marie’s office, the same books and shelves lining the space as before. He releases my hand as he turns to lock the door behind us, and the propulsion of our movements makes me stagger. Pausing for a moment, he still faces the door, one hand on the lock, the other flat against the wooden surface next to where he rests his forehead. I watch as he fights to collect himself, but when he turns to look at me, he is still breathing rapidly, and his eyes are stormy.
“Did he hurt you?” he asks, running his gaze over my body.
“No, I’m fine.” I, too, am breathing hard at the intensity of the emotions radiating between us and can barely whisper my response. “What was that, back there?”
Even if it makes my cheeks flush with pleasure at Lennox’s response to di Micios’ unwanted attention, I am slightly taken aback at the fierceness in his attitude toward the other captain.
“I just —” he starts, then takes a shuddering breath. “I can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you, or hurting you again.” His voice is a harsh rasp in the quiet of the office, like a confession to the Goddess.
“I can’t either,” I murmur back, taking a few tentative steps toward him. His breath still comes in rapid pants, so I approach like I would a wounded beast, nervous I might scare him away. This is the first time I have seen him show any true emotion in public. He is usually unreadable and relaxed in a crowd; seeing him drop the carefully cultivated facade makes me want to soothe him.
I reach my hand up to cup his cheek, and he covers my hand with his own before meeting my gaze through our masks and leaning his face deeper into my palm. The tension between us is as thick as the harbor fogs back home, the familiar flutter in my chest evolves into wild beats as we study one another. Lennox brings his other arm around my back and pulls me closer, holding me firmly against him while I rest my cheek and free hand on his chest. For a few moments, we simply stand there, motionless in each other’s arms, our breaths slowing to match one another’s as I listen to the steady thump of his heart.
When I glance back up at him, desire burns in his eyes, and, even though we are at a party, standing in the private office of the leader of the island, I raise my mouth to brush against his. That small touch ignites the spark that always dances between us. His hand clutches the fabric at my lower back and the other clasps the back of my neck as he deepens our kiss. I throw caution to the wind and melt against his body, cupping the other side of his face with my hand. He makes a noise in the back of his throat and nips at my lip while we kiss, causing a gasp to escape from me in the quiet.
That gasp is all it takes for him to back me against the wall of bookshelves that line the office, pinning me against them as he brushes his tongue against mine. Suddenly, his hands are at my hips, and he lifts me against the shelving, my dress pushed up and my legs exposed. I wrap them around his waist and grab his shoulders, digging my fingers into the fabric of his coat as he kisses my neck and throat. I can feel his hardness pressing against me and I rub against him, groaning as he grips my bare skin.
“Billy,” I breathe as his mouth grazes my throat. I can feel his lips quirk into a smile at his name.
Balanced there between him and the shelving, he releases me with one hand and pulls at the top of my dress, freeing one of my breasts from the low bodice. He pulls my nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting while I bite my lip to keep from moaning — I don’t think either of us necessarily wants this entire house to hear what we are doing. When he returns to my mouth, I run my hands down his chest and stomach to the buttons of his breeches and quickly unbutton them, freeing him out without pushing the fabric down to his knees. He still supports my weight as he kisses me, and I pull up the rest of my dress to expose myself to him.
Quickly, I guide him to my entrance and we slide together, kissing to mask the sounds of our shared pleasure. The wooden shelves bite into my back, likely leaving red marks on my skin from the pressure, and the smell of leather and parchment surrounds me, but I don’t care where I am, or what priceless books or artwork I might be pressed against. All I can focus on is my last night with Lennox as he rests his face against the space where my neck and shoulder meet, each thrust bringing me closer to release as he kisses my flushed skin.
I press my mouth against his shoulder, biting on the material of his coat as I tumble over the edge, trying to quiet my cry of pleasure. He presses his mouth against mine, stifling his own moan as he comes soon after. We stand there, locked in our embrace, savoring the moment of closeness before he lowers me to my feet.
* * *
We return to the party after taking ten minutes or so to straighten ourselves, allowing the flush on my chest and neck to fade from where his stubble and kisses graced them. Most of the guests haven’t taken note of our absence, too entranced by the ambiance of Marie’s hospitality, but Marie’s sharp gaze finds us, and her mouth quirks as she rolls her eyes to the heavens. I don’t know why my face burns at her acknowledgment, but I smile demurely down at my hands as we walk past.
“I hope I haven’t caused any problems between you and the other captains,” I murmur to Lennox when I notice some of the other men from the dinner that first night glancing at us and speaking quietly to one another.
“No, the Tomcat couldn’t resist trying. The others all understand the boundaries. They aren’t as prone to whip their dicks out as di Micios. He thought he was being sly since he knows I’m leaving tomorrow. I’ve heard rumors in town of his desire for Lennox’s Priestess,” he says, irritation coloring his words. Especially the final ones.
“Even so, I know you mentioned you are all sometimes allies. I don’t want to get in the way of business.”
“Fuck di Micios. You’re more important than any business I might have with him, or any of the others,” he soothes me with his pretty words, rubbing his thumb against my hand where we clasp them together. “My business here is done tonight, I think. May I escort you to the boarding house, or do you wish to stay?”
“No, I’m ready to leave,” I answer with relief, and we quietly make our way to bid farewell to our hostess. I assume I will see Lyra and Marie tomorrow, but we stop to speak with the two women before we leave out of courtesy. They’re backlit by a banquet of candles lining the hallway and are luminous in the warm glow.
“Thank you for a lovely evening, Marie.” Lennox bows as he kisses the older woman’s hand. Her warm brown eyes dance with amusement at his statement.
“Oh, you’re quite welcome. I hope you two didn’t leave any messes for me in my office,” she replies looking between us pointedly. “It sounded like a bit of a commotion.” I blush under her scrutiny — when did I become a blushing flower?
“I will see you both tomorrow,” I say glancing between the two women.